well, it sounds like whoever invested in infrastructure is getting a return on their invest ment. I was commenting on the human rights violations vs the republicans running on a "values" platform, though.
Dana On Mon, 22 Nov 2004 07:14:49 -0800, Ken Ketsdever <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I lived in Saipan in 1989 - 90. Immigration laws stated you could have 7 > foreign workers (usually from the Philippines) for every American or native > Saipanese citizens. At the time construction laborers were making about $150 > a month plus room and board, for a 10 - 12 hour workday 6 days a week. They > were living high. They had little to no expenses and sending $100 - $125 a mo > nth back home to PI. At the time the average annual income in PI was about > $850. > > I don't remember any big American manufacturing companies on island. The > entire island suffered daily brown outs. Much of the island had no reliable > source of power. Fresh water was an issue. The island is only about 17 miles > long with one major road running the length of the island and that road was > poorly maintained. > > In the late 1980's Saipan had an indigenous population of about 7 - 8,000 > with a total population of about 27,000. The island was a premier > destination for Japanese tourists (750,000 Japanese tourists a year) > especially honeymooners. Pacific Island Club (a Club Med of the pacific) was > almost exclusively Japanese newly weds. > > They Hyatt Regency served up a great Sunday brunch that would bring > expatriates from throughout the region. Fresh fruit and milk addition to > all the standard brunch affair would make it a worth while trip. You would > see old friends and meet new people from all over the South Pacific. Before > I moved to Saipan I used to fly in from Guam at least once a month just to > have brunch(in Guam real milk was flown in from Australia and was $6.89 a > half gallon, otherwise you could drink some reconstituted chemical tasting > stuff). It was a great social event. After brunch most of the expatriates > would head down to Barney's Beach bar, drinking, chatting and beach > volleyball until the wee hours of the morning. > > Typical conversations would entail catching up with where everyone was and > what they were doing. "I'm down in the Truk Atoll diving for some research > project. Last I heard Bob was heading out for Thailand should be back in a > few weeks." Where's Nicky, did he ever finish that big Hotel project or did > he end up moving back to Japan with his new girlfriend" "A bunch of us are > going out looking for some new wrecks to dive next week you should join > us".... > > It was one of the best times of my life. > > Confidentiality Notice: This message including any > attachments is for the sole use of the intended > recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged > information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or > distribution is prohibited. If you are not the > intended recipient, please contact the sender and > delete any copies of this message. > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Special thanks to the CF Community Suite Gold Sponsor - CFHosting.net http://www.cfhosting.net Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:5:137501 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:5 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
